Sunday, July 10, 2011

A visual preview of UK historical novels for late summer and autumn

With historical settings ranging from ancient Greece to Tudor England to 17th-century France to 19th-century India, here are some personal picks of historical novels set to be published in the UK over the next four months.

A.L. Berridge's In the Name of the King is swashbucking adventure set in France during the Thirty Years' War, a most uncommon setting. In 1640, the Chevalier de Roland tangles with a cruel nobleman to save a young woman's honor and finds himself enmeshed in a political conspiracy. 2nd in series after Honour and the Sword. Penguin, August 4th.

The forbidden romance between an Indian prince and an Englishwoman heats up colonial Lucknow, India, even as the couple battles society's prejudices and violence erupts all around them. A debut novel for Sangeeta Bhargava. Allison & Busby, July 25th.

Fiona Buckley's historical mystery heroine, Elizabethan lady-in-waiting Ursula Blanchard, re-emerges in this 9th entry in the series, which focuses on a covert plot to replace the queen with her Scots cousin. Doesn't the lady on the cover look like a 16th-century version of Adele? Creme de la Crime (now a Severn House imprint), Sept 29th.

Dickason has made a literary home for herself in 17th-century England. The little-known story of Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford, a daring noblewoman who becomes a peace-weaver between James I and his daughter, Elizabeth of Bohemia, after Elizabeth and her husband lose their throne. Harper, November 24th.

Ewing is a versatile novelist, having mastered a variety of settings from Victorian and modern London to the colonial world of her native New Zealand. I believe this is her first American outing. Circus of Ghosts takes place in a circus in late 1840s New York and focuses on a mysterious woman adept at the dark art of mesmerism. Sequel to The Mesmerist. Sphere, July 28th.

Historical adventure in 13th-century Asia, as a Knight Templar travels from Palestine to the Mongol city of Xanadu to form an alliance against the Saracens - and encounters a Tartar warrior princess that complicates his plans. Why aren't more of Colin Falconer's novels published in the US? Atlantic, October 1.

A multi-period family saga set in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1917 and ninety years later. I found Hislop's The Islanda smoothly written, satisfying, and uplifting tale about a traumatic historical period, so I expect the same to be true here. Headline Review, October 27.

This one will be a must-purchase based on my experience reading McMahon's fabulous The Crimson Rooms.Season of Light, a love story set in pre-Revolutionary Paris, centers on a young Englishwoman, Asa Ardleigh, who falls in love with a dashing intellectual at the salon of Madame de Genlis. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, November 1.

This debut novel from Madeline Miller, an American classical historian, retells the story of the Trojan War from the viewpoint of Patroclus, good friend and more to the heroic Achilles, bringing to life elements of the tale that Homer only hinted at. Love, battles, and the hidden schemings of the gods. Bloomsbury, September 6th; also Ecco/HarperCollins US, next March.

Among all of the queens of England, Henrietta Maria is one of the few whose story has rarely been told in fiction. Described as an "English Gone with the Wind" by the publisher, Fiona Mountain's Cavalier Queen tells the story of a woman torn between the king who loves her and the man, Henry Jermyn, who wins her favor and supports her through years of exile and danger. Preface, October 25th.

Lucinda Riley's followup to her epic saga Hothouse Flower deals with two families and their tangled history in London and in Ireland during WWI. Penguin, October 13th.

A young woman in modern Wales traces her grandparents' lives in WWII-era Kashmir when she discovers an antique shawl in her father's house, and a lock of hair in an envelope tucked within it. The review at The Bookbag intrigues me. What a colorful and eye-catching cover, though almost too much is going on with it. HarperCollins, July 21st.

In this novel of the gem trade in Tudor-era Europe, Henry VIII is a vigorous man of 36 who has just fallen in love with Anne Boleyn. The main character of Will Whitaker's The King's Diamond, though, is jewel merchant Richard Dansey, whose determination to seize control of the family business leads him into danger. HarperPress, July 21st.

So much deliciousness! How to choose, how to choose... The World Beyond, definitely, for the perspective on Anglo-Indian romance in colonial times by a writer whose heritage is Indian. Hislop's book, perhaps, because I like her settings yet have not yet read anything by her. The blurb of Berridge's novel sounds a little iffy - "a cruel nobleman" and a woman whose honor needs to be saved by a man - but then again, as you point out, how often does one come across the Thirty Years' War in fiction? And then there's the Trojan War ...and MacMahon's Paris...

Buckley's cover made me do a double-and triple-take, though - at first I thought it depicted a buffoon (a clown or Pierrot) with static hair. Who is Adele?

Hislop's novels are diverting beach reads with well-rounded settings... the characterization on The Island needed work, but the story held my interest. Berridge is a woman, so I'm hoping for nuanced female characters despite the male-adventure marketing :)

Adele is a British soul singer. The pic here (taken from one of her recent videos) caught the resemblance for me. The hair is definitely out of control on the cover!

Kailana, you may need to take a break from HF for a while is all. Or try a crossover book, like something in historical fantasy?

Ah, the choice of using initials made me wonder if that was the case. It seems in some ways things have changed distressingly little from previous centuries when female writers had to mask their identity in order to be taken seriously.

I had all but given up on a new Fiona Buckley book - very excited to see that on the list! I saw the Rosie Thomas book in a store here yesterday and thought about buying it, but I managed to say strong!

I read an ARC of The King's Diamond. It was quite good. The author obviously likes his gems! It did open my eyes to the gem trade in history, and the details of The Siege of Rome were interesting, as it is usually just mentioned in passing really. Also left open for a follow-up i feel.

I have to say I didn't notice too many nuanced female characters in Berridge's first book, "Honour nd the Sword" :) It's very much in the macho adventure style - I think one reviewer compared H&TS to Dumas, which I thought reasonable -it was well done, though not a keeper for me- I passed my copy on to the library.

Sigh. I had already found out about the new Fiona Mountain book and am going to order from Book Depository. NOW you tell me about Christie Dickason. I just can't get enough of Elizabeth of Bohemia! More and more fiction is being set in the 17th century, which I am finding out was the crucible of the modern world.

Can I also say that I just read THE WINTER SEA by Susanna Kearsley and it is a total keeper!! An absolutely romantic book, in the best sense of the word.

I'm all for more 17th century-set novels, too. It's one of my favorites, both in the US and abroad. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm hoping to get to The Winter Sea soon, as it's been on the TBR for over a year!

I have just found out that Susanna Kearsley is working on a sequel to THE WINTER SEA, set a little later (after the 1715 rebellion as opposed to the 1708 setting of the first book) and featuring Anna (no spoilers here)and a present-day character from a previous novel, THE SHADOWY HORSES (which I now have to buy in addition to MARIANA).